


Ultimate Lightning Fury Ship Max

by KawaiiBoushi



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, NIGHTMARES WHO LIKES NIGHTMARES I LOVE WRITING NIGHTMARES, but also there is plenty of my signature panzeke nonsense rest assured, disgustingly cute fluff, lots of headcanons and character exploration don't be fooled this isn't just a dumping ground, pre-relationship/developing feelings, tasty tasty angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2019-11-23 19:11:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18155906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiBoushi/pseuds/KawaiiBoushi
Summary: A collection of smaller ficlets, drabbles, and prompt responses that didn't justify their own postings, some more polished than others. Incredibly self-indulgent fluff, juicy angst, and anything inbetween. Someone's gotta keep Panzeke afloat so it might as well be me.





	1. Space Cadet Zeke

"Your wish is my command! If cuddles are what you desire, then it is my duty - nay, my privilege to provide! Here I come!"

Pandoria's expression shifted from amused to confused to terrified as he opened his arms wide and flung himself at the bed, spinning in mid-air to land on his side next to her.

"Wait-" She was too late to stop him, however, and with a loud squeak she was launched into the air, the momentum from Zeke's leap sending her sideways.

Landing on the edge of the bed, she flailed to keep her balance for a moment before succumbing to gravity and sliding off.

"Pandy!"

Proving his title as Thunderbolt Zeke, the prince snapped into action and dove off the bed, wrapping his arms around his Blade. He flipped over so that he landed on his back with her held tight to his chest, letting out an " _oof_ " as he collided with the floor.

"Oh geez..." Wiggling herself free enough to check on her Driver, Pandoria tried and failed to bite back a giggle. Laying a hand against his cheek, she asked, "Are you okay?"

Lifting a hand to flash a thumbs up, Zeke coughed a couple times. "Right as...rain." Rubbing the back of his head, he sat up, a hand at Pandoria's waist so she wouldn't fall out of his lap. "More importantly, I saved you from a dreadful fate."

Smirking, Pandoria leaned in and rested her forehead against his. "You realize _you_ were the one who tried to launch me into the stratosphere?"

"Well, I guess you could say my love for you is -"

"Don't say it-"

"Out of this world, eh?"

Loudly groaning, Pandoria stood up and crawled back into bed. "You're such a dork."

"Yes," Zeke declared with a proud grin, "a dork that you're madly in love with, Pandy dear!"

With an exasperated breath of laughter, Pandoria rolled her eyes and patted the empty space next to her. "Just shut up and cuddle me."


	2. Oops! Only One Bed!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i have no excuse and i'm not sorry

The first thought that drifted through Pandoria’s mind as she slowly entered into consciousness was that she didn’t remember her pillow being so…firm. Or warm, for that matter. It was a pleasant feeling, though, so she gave a contented sigh and burrowed closer. A few moments passed by as she floated in a blissful mostly-asleep state before a new thought occurred to her. Pillows didn’t usually…move, did they? For some reason, hers was steadily rising and falling, a rhythm that was both relaxing and confusing.

Blearily lifting her head, Pandoria blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong with her pillow –

Only to realize that she had most definitely not been snuggling a pillow at all.

And had instead most definitely been nuzzling against Zeke’s very bare chest.

With a strangled squeaking noise, Pandoria felt her face flush. Her tiredness vanished as abruptly as if someone had submerged her body in icy water, and she barely managed to suppress the instinct to leap out of bed and most likely wake Zeke up in the process. Him realizing the position they’d ended up in – absolutely not one they’d started out in – was an embarrassment she couldn’t handle right now.

Especially when she had been the one who insisted it was fine that there wouldn’t be an open room with two beds for another couple nights, no one’s sleeping on the floor, that would defeat the point of staying at the inn in the first place, stop being so stubborn and get in the damn bed. It was a king size, plenty of room for both of them with no need for awkwardness.

  
And yet, here she was, feeling completely awkward anyway (but not necessarily complaining). Extracting herself from the situation, sneakily or otherwise, was going to prove difficult now – at some point during the night, Zeke’s arms had ended up wrapped around her, effectively keeping Pandoria held tightly to his chest and preventing her from moving without disturbing him. Why did he always have to sleep shirtless? It was hard to formulate an escape plan when her mind was being lulled back into sleepiness by how warm her prince was, how safe she felt in his embrace, how he smelled like home and adventure and –

And this train of thought was rapidly becoming dangerous. At this rate, her pounding heart was going to wake Zeke up. Now _that_ would be awkward. Meanwhile, during her moment of distraction, Zeke had tightened his grip on her ever so slightly, and he let out a breath that stirred Pandoria’s hair and set her stomach aflutter. If she wasn’t so torn between fear of being caught and guilty enjoyment of the situation, she would be annoyed that he was having this effect on her without even trying.

Finally, Pandoria conceded that she had no choice anymore but to pretend to be asleep and wait for him to let go, whether consciously or not. About ten minutes passed before Zeke seemed to stir. A low hum escaped his lips and he actually pulled her closer for a moment in which she prayed he wouldn’t notice her escalated heart rate. Almost immediately, however, he gasped and his body jolted sharply before going stock still. Pandoria took this as confirmation of her assumption that he had not intended to wake up like this either. A twinge of disappointment hit her before she realized…he had yet to let go. Instead, he gulped, hard, and one of his hands drifted to the back of her head, where his fingers gently curled in her hair. It was all Pandoria could do to force her breathing to remain steady.

  
Then, with a resigned sigh, he pulled away and it was over. He carefully sat up, making sure his presumed-sleeping Blade didn’t flop too hard against the bed as he did so. Fingers drumming against the mattress, he remained seated for another minute or so before clearing his throat and getting up, heading for the bathroom.

By the time Zeke finished his shower, Pandoria had ‘woken up,’ and they were able to meet each other’s gaze with almost no blushing and conversation that was only a little too casual. While the awkwardness dissipated fairly quickly, the memory of her prince’s hesitation followed Pandoria throughout the rest of the day, taunting her with what it could have meant.

They still had one more night left in this room. Maybe later she would close the distance between them again and find out.


	3. In A Name

Rex raised a hand in greeting as he saw Pandoria emerge from the girls’ room. “Mornin’, Pandy!”

The Blade froze mid-yawn, arms stretched above her head and expression soured. “Don’t call me that.”

“Huh?” Brow furrowing, Rex tipped his head to the side in confusion. “But Zeke calls you –”

“Yeah, and last time I checked, _you_ weren’t my prince, were you?” Hands at her hips, Pandoria leaned forward and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Um…” Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Rex fumbled for a response. It was about this time that he noticed Zeke leaning against the wall a few feet behind his Blade, watching this play out with an affectionate grin. _Ah_. Now it made sense. “Heh. No, guess I’m a couple feet too short, huh? Sorry ‘bout that, Pandoria. Won’t happen again.” For good measure, he smiled and winked at the duo as he carried on down the hall.

It was Pandoria’s turned to look confused, crossing her arms as she straightened her posture. “What are you winking about?”

“Oh, nothing!” Rex called over his shoulder, waving as he turned the corner and disappeared.

Pandoria gave a _tsk_ and shrugged. “Weird kid.”

“Good morning, Pandy!” Finally deciding to make his presence known, Zeke stepped closer to his Blade. “What’s all the commotion, eh?”

Tail jolting straight in the air in surprise, Pandoria spun around to face him. “Oh! Morning, my prince! Rex and I were just talking, did we wake you up?”

Zeke waved the question off with one hand, throwing his other arm around her shoulders. “No, I’ve been up for a while. Figured I finally ought to join the land of the living.”

“About time,” Pandoria said, poking him in the stomach. “It’s almost noon. You’ll be lucky if Pyra even warms up any leftovers for you.”

“Hey," Zeke retorted, “you look like you barely rolled out of bed yourself, you know.”

With a smirk, Pandoria started towards the lobby where the others were already gathered. “Yeah, well, as long as I’m up before you, I win.”


	4. Be My Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> blades probably can't come back after having a chunk of their core crystal cut out but that won't stop me from writing a lil angst

"Hey, Rex?"

The salvager gave a friendly smile, which fell slightly when he saw Pandoria's face. "What's up? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah." Pandoria bit her lip and let out a sigh. "Just...I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course. I'm all ears."

Wringing her hands anxiously, Pandoria started, "If...if something happens to my prince..." She faltered before trying again. "We might not all make it out of this alive. I know that. My prince may act dense, but he knows that. So, if he doesn't...don't reawaken me."

Caught off guard by the request, Rex frowned. "What?"

"I don't..." She shook her head and forced a laugh. "Nothing against you, y'know? It's not that I don't think you'd be a good Driver or anything. Just...I hate the idea of coming back and being someone else's Blade. After everything we've been through, all the time we've spent together. It feels so wrong to think about living another life without any memory of my prince."

  
With a noise of understanding, Rex nodded slowly. "You really care about him, don't you?"

"Yeah." Pandoria glanced over her shoulder at Zeke, currently in a heated discussion with Nia. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but her prince's booming laughter carried, bringing a smile to her face. "More than anything."

"Well, I can understand how you feel. Thinking about forgetting Pyra if our roles were reversed..." A blush crept up the salvager's face and he cleared his throat. "If that's what you really want, Pandoria, I'll respect it."

Jabbing a finger into Rex's chest, Pandoria insisted, "Promise me, okay? Even if he ever comes to you and feeds you some cheesy line about wanting me to live on after he's gone. It wouldn't be the same me, anyway. Not without my prince. Just...bury my core crystal with him."

"Cross my heart," Rex swore, gesturing over his own for emphasis.

"Thanks, Rex." Smiling, the Blade ruffled his hair. "You're a good kid."

"Hey!" Rex protested, attempting too late to dodge Pandoria's hand. "Come on, I'm not a kid. M'practically old enough to drink."

"Yeah, but my prince is too tall to noogie anymore, so you're the next best thing.”


	5. Xenoship Week Day 1: Smile

Zeke’s most distinctive feature – after, of course, the eyepatch – was arguably his smile. Some would diplomatically describe it as “confident” or “enthusiastic,” while others less concerned with tact would simply call it “shit-eating.” The latter term was most appropriate when he’d cracked an especially groan-worthy joke, grin widening in direct proportion to how many eyerolls and heavy sighs he earned.

Careful eyes, however, would notice that between the booming laughter and questionable smirks, there were smiles Zeke reserved for none other than Pandoria. A spark of pride in his exposed eye when they executed an attack in perfect sync; an excited grin as he waxed poetic about their adventures together; an expression of such gentle adoration when they stole a quick kiss that it was easy to forget his reputation for exuberance. He was an expressive man in every sense of the word, and never was this more clear than in the countless different ways he found to look at his Blade like she was the only person in the world who mattered.

Pandoria, no stranger to dramatics herself, wore her emotions quite literally on her sleeve – her shoulders would flash and dim with her mood, flickering when she was nervous and flaring when she laughed. She always seemed to shine just a bit brighter in the presence of her prince, and no one else could draw what he called the million-watt smile out of her: ears perked, eyes alight with joy, a beam so radiant that none of the light bulbs adorning her could ever hope to match, try as they might. From his first “I love you,” Zeke had never stopped trying to bring that brilliant smile back to her face, and with each success he felt himself fall for her all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise I'll have time to write for all 7 prompts, or that the ones I do write won't be similarly short, but Xenoship Week has begun or as I like to call it PANZEKE CRUNCH WEEK BAYBEEEEEEE. If you wanna find the prompt list and join in, or just come hang out and talk about Xenoblade with a bunch of cool peeps, you should check out the discord server I help mod: https://discord.gg/SD2XWQ7


	6. Xenoship Week Day 2: Red

“Da na na na, doo doo doo doo…” Loudly humming to herself, Pandoria bundled up in a towel as she stepped out of the shower, a cloud of steam billowing around her. With a shake of her head, sending excess water droplets flying, she fumbled for her glasses on the counter. As she wiped the fog from the lenses, Zeke poked his head through the slightly ajar bathroom door.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” he noted, extending his hand to offer Pandoria the pajamas she had left in the bedroom.

Accepting the lavender tank top and shorts, she nodded enthusiastically. “I’m always in a good mood when I get to take a hot shower and sleep in a real bed.”

“Fair enough.” Once Pandoria had slipped into her nightclothes, Zeke strolled inside the bathroom, giving her hair a ruffle under the towel she’d draped over it. A small crystal bottle on the counter caught his eye, and he picked it up and gave it a curious shake. “What’s this? Looks fancy.”

“Oh! So Morag was telling me about this super nice moisturizer she uses, and last time she stocked up she gave me what was left of her last bottle. I mean, Blades probably don’t really _need_ this kinda stuff, but it’s nice to pamper myself every once in a while, y’know?” Taking the bottle back from Zeke, she squirted a small amount into her hands and rubbed it daintily onto her face.

“I see, I see. Explains why you’ve been extra soft lately.” An arm wrapping around his Blade’s waist, he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek before immediately grimacing. “Hm. Well, in case you were wondering, Morag’s fancy lotion tastes _awful_.”

Rolling her eyes, Pandoria gave a giggle that tapered into a snort. “Uh-huh. I’ll be sure to let her know.” She turned around and hopped up to sit on the counter, legs swinging absently, waiting for Zeke to finish his routine before going to settle in.

Slowly peeling off his eyepatch, the prince held his own blue-eyed gaze in the mirror for a few moments, a thoughtful look on his face. “You know, I think this makes three weeks now since the last time I had to buy new contacts. Longest I’ve gone in a while.”

“And our coin purse thanks you,” Pandoria sighed. “So many meals we wouldn’t have had to skimp out on if you could just keep your contacts in your eyes. Tragic, really.”

“It was a necessary sacrifice,” Zeke said as he carefully removed the lenses for the night.

“Yeah, I know.”

Turning to Pandoria, he blinked at her a few times, eyes still adjusting to being exposed. There were few people over the past decade who had caught a glimpse of Zeke’s left eye, and generally only under dire circumstances involving it being involuntary ripped from his face. Fewer still had seen him sans both eyepatch and contacts, his natural red eyes on display.

They had decided early into Zeke’s exile, after noticing that the red and gold eyes so common among Tantalese were virtually non-existent among members of the other kingdoms of Alrest, that it was for the best to disguise his origins as best they could. A simple pair of contact lenses was all it had taken to hide the fact that the prodigal prince of Tantal was roaming freely from Titan to Titan. For the first time in his life, he was grateful to have been born without the distinctive facial markings and copper hair all his people shared, as isolating as it had felt growing up.

Over the years, Pandoria had come to appreciate these moments when all his accoutrement was shed, when he didn’t need to hide anything. She only saw that deep crimson that no one else was trusted with when they were safe and alone together, free to be unguarded and intimate. Often, she found herself staring, mesmerized by the flecks in his irises, like multifaceted rubies in her own private collection.

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Those eyes were currently watching her expectantly, one eyebrow raised as Zeke waved a hand near her face. Pandoria started to attention and gave a sheepish grin. “Oh! Uh, yeah, what’s up?”

“I was just asking,” he started over, “do you think I ought to ditch the contacts? I mean, I’m not really trying to hide who I am anymore, and I might –”

“No!” Pandoria blurted, causing Zeke’s expression of bemusement to deepen.

“Oh?”

“Well, I mean.” A light blush crept up her neck and she cleared her throat. “You know, the contacts, uh, add to your mystery! Or…something.”

“Uh-huh.” The corner of Zeke’s mouth tugged slightly upward as he moved closer, resting a hand on either side of her on the counter. “That’s all?”

Pandoria immediately felt her face flush as red as her prince’s eyes. He really could read her like an open book. “And, well, okay, so maybe I…kinda like being the only one who sees you without them,” she said in one quick breath.

Zeke’s smirk grew wider before he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. “I know.” 

Pandoria returned his kiss as he closed the distance between them, but not without flicking him in the arm, shooting out a spark for good measure. Zeke only threw back his head and laughed.

“You’re adorable when you’re flustered, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she pouted, hopping down from the counter. After a moment’s hesitation, she stood on tiptoe and threw her towel over his shoulders, using it to pull him closer for another kiss. “Hurry it up in here, alright?”

“Of course, darling,” Zeke promised, one hand clutched over his heart. “I won’t keep you from staring longingly into my eyes for a moment longer than I have to.”

Heaving a long sigh, as if that wasn’t precisely her motivation, Pandoria simply sauntered back to the bedroom, calling over her shoulder, “You’re lucky you’re pretty, you doofus.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> headcanons? about zeke???? me??????? wild, i know. let's see how many more i can cram in this week.


	7. Xenoship Week Day 3: Stars

“And that one over there, that’s the…Mighty Squiggle.” Pandoria waved her hand in the general direction of a cluster of stars in Gormott’s night sky. “Named for…being real funny-shaped.”

Zeke propped himself up on his elbows and squinted at his Blade. “You know, Pandy, I’m starting to get the feeling that these ‘ancient astronomy books’ you ‘found in the royal library’ never actually existed.”

“What, and I just made the Mighty Squiggle up?” Pandoria mustered the most offended expression she could. “Perish the thought.”

Softly chuckling, Zeke laid back on their bedroll, turning his attention back to the tapestry of night above. “We should see if we can find a real book on this stuff. It’s fascinating, honestly. Back in Tantal, I never realized just how vast and beautiful the sky is.” Letting out a sigh, he paused before murmuring, “I wish the rest of my people could see this."

Their campfire had long since died, but Pandoria could read the wistfulness on her prince’s face clear as day. “Yeah.” For all his grandstanding and good riddances, she knew that he longed for things to have been different. Even at fifteen, he had wanted only the best for his country, and the more he saw of the outside world the more he became convinced of the change Tantal needed. ”Well…I guess you better read up. Someone’s gonna have to make sure that they don’t fall for the Great Squiggle whenever they _do_ get a chance to see the stars.”

Zeke rolled onto his side to face her and smirked. “I thought it was the _Mighty_ Squiggle?”

“Exactly!” Pandoria clapped her hands together decisively. “See, you just can’t trust people who make up fake constellations.”

“Solid advice, Pandy, appreciate it.” After pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead, he pulled her closer and pointed back up at the sky. “I think my favorite so far is that one, though.”

Following the line of his finger, Pandoria pursed her lips and said, “Yeah, that, uh…that’s the moon. The moon’s not a constellation. Or…a star, for that matter.”

“Oh, I know. It reminds me of you though. After all, you light up even my darkest of nights.” Tapping her shoulder with a grin, he added, “Figuratively _and_ literally.”

Pandoria gave Zeke a playful shove, hand lingering on his forearm. “Ooh, clever. That’s only, what, the third time this month you’ve used that line?”

“What, are you getting tired of me reminding you how amazing you are?”

“Hmm, good point. Carry on.”

“Alright, how about this: your eyes are more dazzling than any star, my love."

Snuggling close against him, Pandoria let out a long yawn. “Now that’s more like it.” A contented hum escaping her lips, she allowed her eyes to droop closed as Zeke’s arms enveloped her, and before long she was drifting away to a lullaby of sweet nothings.


	8. Xenoship Week Day 4: Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was actually meant to be a chapter in my grand slowburn panzeke magnum opus but...then i lost steam on that. it has a lot of stuff i don't want to never see the light of day though, so this prompt was perfect!

“Pandy?”

The sound of Zeke’s voice caused the Blade to cease her pacing in her tracks. She whipped around, the dim light of her shoulders just enough to make out her Driver sitting up and squinting at her. Yawning widely, he fumbled at the bedside table until he found her hat, turning it on to get a better look. “Something the matter?”

“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong.” As Pandoria shook her head, another roll of thunder boomed in the distance, a flash of lightning splitting the sky. She gave a huff of frustration, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. “No, just, storms kinda…well, I think it’s something to do with how the lightning stirs up and reacts with the ether in the air. It makes me antsy. Not in a bad way. Like, it’s great when we’re fighting. I feel all full of energy, like I could take on that giant Gogol single-handedly. Not so great when I’m trying to get to sleep.” She grimaced apologetically, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up too.”

“Well, now that I’m awake anyway…” Zeke climbed out of bed, stretching his arms up above his head. As per usual, he had been sleeping in just his pajama bottoms, leaving his upper body rather distractingly on full display. Before he could catch her staring, Pandoria dragged her gaze back to his face, though not too late to catch his biceps flexing at the height of his stretch. “I find a nice jog always helps when I’m having trouble sleeping. What do you say?”

Pandoria blinked. “Uh.” She pointed out the window, just in case her prince had somehow not noticed. “It’s raining.”

“So?” Zeke smirked. “Not afraid of a little water, are you, Pandy?”

“Wh – afr –?” Trying not to rise to the ridiculous accusation, Pandoria placed her fists at her hips. “Are you crazy? I’m not going _jogging_ at late o’clock at night in the middle of a storm.”

“Well, suit yourself,” Zeke said with a shrug, making towards the door, “but it sounds to me like you’re afraid of a little water.”

Scowling, Pandoria rose to the ridiculous accusation and followed him out, down the hall, all the way to the inn’s open-air entrance. The man at the front desk had fallen asleep at his post, snoring loudly and oblivious to the Driver and Blade about to run out into the pouring rain. Before Pandoria could further question Zeke’s sanity, he flashed her a grin and set off. With a sigh of resignation, she followed suit.

The moment she left the safety of the inn, she was soaked head to toe, and immediately regretted whatever lapse in judgement that had caused her to entertain this idea. Zeke, wiping away chucks of hair the rain had plastered to his face with one hand, gestured with the other for her to follow him in the direction of the town square. Once she had caught up, he continued on, shortening his strides so she could match his pace.

“This is a terrible idea, my prince,” Pandoria yelled over the sound of the torrential downpour around them. “Like, one of your worst.”

“And yet, here you are,” Zeke pointed out with a booming laugh. “Besides, this has to rank higher than going down that big water slide in Fonsa Myma, eh?”

“Not a water slide,” Pandoria reminded him. They rounded the corner of the shopping district and began to descend the hill into Torigoth’s residential area. “And you’re not making yourself look any better bringing that up.”

He only winked at her before his foot caught on a root jutting out of the ground, sending him toppling face-first into the mud.

“Zeke!” Pandoria gasped. She turned sharply on her heel and barely managed to keep herself from falling as well from the sudden motion. “Are you okay?”

Pushing himself up on his elbows, Zeke spluttered on the large amount of mud that had made its way into his mouth and nose, but gave his Blade a thumbs-up. “Right as rain. Get it, Pandy? Right as _rain_?”

“Boo. That was awful.” She rolled her eyes, holding out a hand to help him back to his feet.

“Well, despite your lack of appreciation for pure comedy gold, your concern has touched me to my very core.” Zeke spread his arms wide, globs of mud dripping from every inch of his front. “Allow me to take you into my bosom to express my deep gratitude, Pandoria!”

With a squeak, Pandoria ducked out of the way of his incoming hug just in time. “Ew! Keep your muddy bosom away from me.”

Zeke’s expression turned mischievous. “Come now, Pandy, surely you can’t turn down the Zekenator’s world-famous embrace! People line up for hours for this!”

“Nope. Not me. I’m out.” Before he could try again, Pandoria turned around and started to jog back to the inn. Hearing Zeke’s heavy footfalls behind her, she ran a little faster, though she knew he could easily outpace her if he really wanted.

Reaching the entrance, she ducked inside and leaned against the wall to catch her breath and wait for Zeke. He caught up a few moments later, and the look in his eyes told Pandoria she had made a grave mistake in thinking he would abandon his attempts to give her the world’s muddiest hug just because they were indoors now. With a sigh, she accepted her fate, allowing him to scoop her up and spin her in a small circle before setting her down and beaming at her, looking far too proud of himself.

“You’re the worst. Ever. You know that?”

“Maybe,” Zeke conceded unabashedly, “but I bet you’ll be out like a light now, eh?”

Pandoria gave an exasperated snort. “You’re definitely exhausting, I’ll give you that.”

“What the ‘ell?”

Pandoria and Zeke both jumped a little before realizing the new voice belonged to the now-awake doorman who was staring at them with a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

“Ah, sorry, mate!” Zeke took the lead, running a hand through his dripping hair. “My Blade and I have been staying here at your fine establishment, and we just got caught in the storm on our way back in.”

The main raised an eyebrow at the muddy pair. “At this hour…?” He seemed to decide he didn’t care enough to pursue the matter, however, and waved a dismissive hand at them. “Well, whatever. Just leave your shoes there for now and move along. Track any mud in and you’ll be the ones cleanin’ it up, mind.”

“Of course, my good sir.” Giving a little bow, Zeke stepped out of his boots and started back towards their room, Pandoria close behind. Luckily, the rain had already washed away the majority of the mud that Zeke had gone for a swim in, so they dripped mostly water down the hall. _Mostly_ being the key word. Zeke’s face was still streaked, and his pants had taken on a murky tinge Pandoria suspected would never completely wash out. Meanwhile, her hair had soaked up plenty of dirty water from being squished against Zeke’s chest, weighing uncomfortably on the back of her neck.

“I feel disgusting,” she groaned, leaning against the door to their room after they had finally returned. “This really was a terrible idea. Why don’t you ever have good ideas?”

“If my ideas are so terrible, why do you always go along with them?” Zeke retorted.

For a split second, Pandoria took the question seriously and her expression relaxed into a pensive one. Then she shook her head and simply replied, “Whatever. I’m gonna wash up and change into something dry. You should too, my prince.”

“Ladies first.” With an unnecessarily complex flourish of his hand, Zeke gestured towards the bathroom door.

“Uh-huh.” Pandoria snatched his pajama top from where he had discarded it on the floor – it remained a mystery to her why he even bothered to hang onto it anymore – and waved it in his direction as she crossed the room. “I’m taking this since you ruined my only pajamas. And you’re _so_ on laundry duty tomorrow,” she added just before closing the door behind her.

“Whatever you say, Pandy,” Zeke’s amused voice floated through the wall as Pandoria started the water.

Admittedly, the late-night escapade had left her far more tired than she had been before – though it probably helped that the worst of the storm seemed to have passed – so she kept her shower quick, satisfactorily clean and dry within fifteen minutes. After putting her hair up in a towel, she held up Zeke’s nightshirt in front of her for inspection. It was a simple black button-up shirt, plain save for the breast pocket with an embroidered turtle on it – which was probably the reason Zeke couldn’t make himself get rid of it, Pandoria noted with a smirk. It was baggy in every possible way on her, sleeves going to the tips of her fingers and hem hanging almost to her knees, but that only made it more comfortable. So comfortable she was considering stealing it more often, in fact.

After fastening it all the way up, Pandoria made to return to the bedroom, but something gave her pause just before she turned the doorknob. Unsure of where the sudden urge came from, she lifted the collar up to her face, closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. It smelled of…cotton. Nothing more. Not that she should have expected anything else, given that she had never seen Zeke wear it even once, but it was still disappointing for some reason.

And then she realized she was standing around _smelling Zeke’s clothes_ , blushed deeply, and burst through the bathroom door, hoping it would be too dark for him to see her face. Trying to ignore whatever had possessed her to act so weird and mushy, Pandoria started, “My prince, you can go ahead and…”

She trailed off upon seeing him sprawled out on his bed, eyes closed and breathing steady with slumber. At least he had thought to change into some dry pants first, but he would still likely end up washing dishes for a week to cover the bed set he was ruining. Pandoria considered waking him up and insisting he showered, but remembered with a slight twinge of guilt that she had already disturbed his sleep once tonight. He must have been more tired than he let on.

And as poorly thought out as the idea was, he had still offered to go running with her in an attempt to help her burn off her excess energy. It was a sweet gesture in theory, but a disaster in practice.

 _If my ideas are so terrible, why do you always go along with them?_ The question had been in jest, but Pandoria found herself mulling it over once more as she perched upon her own bed. She hadn’t been wrong: more often than not, Zeke’s plans were complete flops, producing various levels of horrible results. Mostly harmless, like tonight’s antics, but occasionally landing them in actual danger. And yet, time after time she indulged him.

But was it really just indulging _him_? She very rarely ended up genuinely regretting anything they did. Whether it was a lost map and a long trek that led to aching muscles but breathtaking views, or a hard-won fight against a rampaging monster they had taken it upon themselves to slay, the pair had no end of experiences to reminisce and laugh over. If given the choice, she always would take Zeke and his bad luck, terrible ideas, and sense of adventure over any other Driver in the world.

The Driver in question gave a soft snore, drawing Pandoria from her thoughts. Her eyes traveled up and down his sleeping form, and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. Even now, unkempt as he was, it was hard to ignore that he was a handsome man who kept himself in good shape. In fact, in recent months, it wasn’t uncommon for women to attempt to flirt with him in the market or when he was working at the lumberyard. Zeke, either completely oblivious or choosing to ignore their advances, would respond with his usual friendly gusto, which could be a bit overwhelming for many people. Pandoria had mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, it was disappointing that people would still write Zeke off without taking the time to get to know him beyond his goofy outer layer. But on the other, the idea of strange women with ulterior motives trying to get cozy with her prince twisted her stomach with something bitter and territorial.

As this feeling began to well up even now, a wheel started turning in the back of Pandoria’s mind. Here she was, watching Zeke sleep; admiring his looks and feeling jealous over hypothetic flirtation. Stealing his clothes and hoping they would smell like him. Practically _monologuing_ to herself about how fun and adventurous he was.

Eyes wide, Pandoria sat up straight as a board as it struck her. All at once, her face flushed and her core crystal glowed brightly with emotion. She held her hands to her chest to cover its light and slumped forward, burying her head in her knees with a groan.

“Oh, _shit_.”


	9. Xenoship Week Day 5: Fear

_He should have woken up by now, they said_

_The surgery was a success, they said_

_We don’t know why he’s unresponsive, they said_

_Days turned into weeks into months and all the while she was alone, by his side but he wasn’t there, and_ Architect _, was this what it was like to be human?_

_So often she had caught a glimpse of her ears, or her shoulders, reflected in a window, and wondered if she’d be prettier without them. Seen elderly couples exchange tender glances and dreaded that Zeke would feel bitter when she didn’t grow old like he would. Felt stares like claws raking up and down her body from people who didn’t bother to disguise their feelings on the nature of their relationship._

_But this – if being human was to lose the only person in the world who really mattered, when you sacrificed everything you could to save them and it still didn’t matter – she took back every wish she had ever made at her most insecure. How was she just supposed to go on without him? She didn’t want to forget him, but_ not _forgetting, knowing what had been taken from her, was suffocating, like drowning slowly as she sunk deeper and deeper into despair._

_“Please wake up,” she begged, voice hoarse from crying and pleading. Shaking him by the shoulders, she repeated, “My prince, I need you to wake up – please – Zeke, wake up–”_

“Pandy _–_ ”

“Zeke, please, wake up, _wake up–!_ ”

“Pandoria!”

A sharp gasp and Pandoria found herself in near-total darkness, head spinning and bile in her throat. In the light of her shoulders she could barely make out Zeke’s concerned face above her, blurred by tears. As she struggled to catch her breath, coughing and gasping, her mind slowly began to register her surroundings: She was in bed. Zeke was there. She had ended up tangled in sheets and blankets in her unconscious struggle and _Zeke was there_ and she still couldn’t tell up from down but she couldn’t let him disappear.

“Hey.” He gently caressed Pandoria’s cheek, and she instinctively clutched at his fingers, holding fast and tight. Slowly, he moved her hand over his heart and held it there. She drew a shuddering breath at the contact with his core crystal, feeling a pulse of ether wash over her. “It was only a dream. Everything’s alright now. Just breathe, okay?”

Chest heaving, Pandoria somehow found it in her to sit up and throw herself at her prince. His arms wrapped around her and held her close as she sobbed, stroking a soothing hand through her hair. They passed a short time like this, Zeke murmuring words of comfort in his Blade’s ear as she tried desperately to convince herself this was real. It was far from the first nightmare she’d had since Zeke had nearly lost his life, but none yet been so vivid, so…chilling.

Hearing his voice helped immensely. As she frantically traced her finger around the edge of his core crystal Pandoria’s breathing slowly began to return to normal, and her heartbeat came to match time with his. Once the worst of her tears had subsided, Zeke carefully drew back, hands at her shoulders for support.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sniffling loudly, Pandoria looked down, rubbing at her eyes. “You never…you never woke up. But you didn’t…you were still…s-so I was alone.” She hiccupped, tears welling up again from recounting it. “Just locked up in that hospital room with your body, but no matter what I did, you wouldn’t – y-you wouldn’t –!”

Zeke pulled her closer once more. “Shh, it’s alright, love. You don’t have to keep going.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, rubbing comforting circles on her back. “I’m here. I’m always going to be here. So long as I draw breath, nothing can keep me from you, and I’m never going to let something like what happened before happen again.”

One hand still over his heart, the other grasping his shoulder, she curled into a ball against him as he pulled the blanket over them both. Almost like an ether link, she could feel Zeke’s resolve deep in her core, burning strong and fighting to overwhelm her fear. Pandoria knew he couldn’t promise what he’d said, not really. No one was invincible; what happened in Indol had proved that. Still, he meant it from the bottom of his heart anyway, and she knew he would fight to his last to keep his word.

For now, that was enough.


	10. Xenoship Week Day 7: Heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't end up writing anything for day 6! I had a pretty busy weekend and didn't even have a chance to come up with any good ideas, much less write anything new, so I just focused on polishing day 7 c: all in all, I did write a lot more than I expected to for ship week, I'm glad I participated!

“And did I mention that you’re a dumbass?”

Zeke blew out a long sigh, wincing at another needle prick in his arm. Pandoria had done what she could to numb the wound before stitching it up, but it was still a highly unpleasant feeling. “What, in the last five minutes? No, I don’t think so. Thanks for the reminder, actually, I’d forgotten.”

“I’m being serious.” As she finally pulled the last stitch taut and tied it off, the Blade sized up her handiwork. It was far from pretty, but it got the job done. Considering the bloody mess his arm had been before, it was better than nothing, at least. “What the _hell_ were you thinking?”

“I was thinking,” Zeke began, impatience dripping from every word, “that I wasn’t going to sit there and watch you get ripped to shreds. A ‘thank you’ would be nice.”

“ _‘Thank you?’_ ” Pandoria repeated, voice going shrill with exasperation. “Thank you for what? Zeke, I’m a Blade! This is what ether barriers are for, and even if it had gotten through, I would have been fine! As long as my core crystal isn’t damaged –”

“I know how Blades work, Pandoria, I don’t need the lecture. Just because you heal faster than I do doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get hurt if I can do something about it,” he said, jaw set and defiance in his face.

With a noise of frustration, Pandoria shot back, “If you know how Blades work, then you should know that _I_ can regenerate body parts if I need to. We can’t afford a real doctor, what are we supposed to do if this gets infected? If you lose your arm, that’s it. It’s gone.”

Looking away, Zeke shrugged his uninjured shoulder. “Then so be it. I still won’t regret what I did.”

“ _Dumbass_ ,” Pandoria hissed for the hundredth time in the past hour. Zeke had done a lot of reckless things in the few years since they had left Genbu, but throwing himself between her and an angry crustip after it had managed to scuttle past him and knock her prone was definitely near the top of the list. The force of the surprise attack had been enough to temporarily disrupt their ether link, so she had only been able to watch in horror as its claw ripped through his arm, and she could still hear his cry of pain echo in her memory. Unable to wield his sword, he was forced to allow Pandoria to grab his other arm and run, and by some miracle they managed to escape and take shelter in one of the rooms in Mor Ardain’s abandoned industrial district.

Driver and Blade both remained stubbornly silent as Pandoria pulled out a roll of bandages and began wrapping Zeke’s wound. It was going to need regular changing for a while, so she tried to make the most of what they had, mentally calculating how long she could make it last and how much more they would need. This was going to make it harder for Zeke to work until it healed, and less work meant less money meant less supplies…

“Look, I get what you’re saying.” Zeke was the first to speak up, drawing Pandoria’s attention back to the present. He still wasn’t meeting her gaze, but some of the anger had drained from his expression, guilt beginning to take its place. “And…yeah, objectively, it makes more sense. There’s less risk in the long run if a Blade gets hurt than a human. If something happens to me, we’re both goners. But at the same time, if you’re incapacitated, or if – Architect forbid – your core crystal shattered, I don’t stand much chance in a fight without you. So it’s not like it’s totally fine for you to be in harm’s way either. That aside, though, I…you’re important to me, Pandy.”

“My prince…” As Zeke finally made himself look her in the eyes with those words, Pandoria felt her stomach stir. It wasn’t the first such instance of that feeling in recent months, but it was something she wasn’t quite ready to attempt to put a name to.

“Not just as some tool,” he continued. “Being a Blade doesn’t make you disposable, or your life or pain less important than mine. You’re my best friend, and I –” Whatever he was about to say died in his throat, and he gave an awkward cough, face dusting with a light pink. “I…well, I’m sorry I upset you.”

Bowing her head for a moment, Pandoria sighed. It was hard to stay mad at him when he talked like this. Besides, she would be lying if she said she didn’t appreciate the sentiment. “Thank you,” she finally said. Looking back up at him with a weary smile, she added, “Let’s just…both try not to get hurt too bad, okay?”

“Good deal,” Zeke agreed, giving her hand a quick shake and immediately wincing at the exertion. “Right, maybe I shouldn’t move this arm too much for now. Hey, at least it’ll leave a cool scar, yeah?”

Relieved the tension between them had begun to defuse, Pandoria leaned back and rolled her eyes. “There’s the bright side, I guess.”

“Yeah,” he continued with a grin, “and the next one will be even more awesome.”

“Woah, slow your roll there.” Pandoria folded her arms and quirked an eyebrow. “What did I _just_ say?”

“Well, y’know, I’m not gonna _try_ to get hurt, but what adventurer doesn’t end up with a few scars?” He tapped a finger to his chin, humming thoughtfully. “I bet a big one on my chest would be a good conversation starter.”

Smacking him on his other arm, Pandoria attempted to look stern and not laugh along with him.

“Don’t even joke about that.”


	11. Adorable

“Hey, Mòrag?”

“What, Zeke?”

“How do you know if a girl likes you?

With a sigh of longsuffering, Mòrag flipped a page in her notebook. “I’m here to study, not to gossip.”

“Yes, and studying matters of the heart is far more important than boring old ancient history.” Zeke rolled onto his back, absently trying to balance his pencil on his nose, his own notebook still starkly blank. “See, Pandoria’s always making fun of me and calling me names.”

“Well, logic dictates that she doesn’t like you, then.”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing!” Sitting up and gesturing emphatically, Zeke explained, “It feels weirdly flirtatious when she does it. Like, I’ll show off a cool new pose I came up with, and she’ll go, ‘oh, that’s so stupid, I love it,’ and kind of touch my arm and smirk at me. _Architect_ , she’s cute when she’s smug.”

Mòrag placed a hand at her temple and rolled her eyes. Pandoria’s strange infatuation with Zeke had been plain for some time now. Personally, she had been hoping he would continue to remain oblivious for as long as possible – dealing with them individually was bad enough, she didn’t want the headache of the two biggest idiots she knew hooking up and combining their energy.

“And, like, I dunno…” Zeke continued, expression pensive. “I’m kinda into it.”

With a noise of disgust, Mòrag slammed her books shut and stood up. “I’m going home. Have fun failing the test tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry if you expected anything coherent or Not Stupid or longer than 12 words. This just came to me thinking about high school Panzeke inspired by a line in tbat's college au (which is a work of genius btw). Best accompanied by Adorable by Artist Vs Poet (once again, thanks tbat).


	12. Blame Turters

“My prince, look!”

A few feet from the pond Pandoria had been fishing in, Zeke glanced up from the notebook he was using to jot down attack names. _Ultimate Thunder Fury Strike_ still needed some tweaking, but he knew he was onto something. “You caught dinner?”

“Even better,” the Blade trilled, carefully turning around to face him. The day had been overcast up until now, but the clouds suddenly parted as Pandoria moved, allowing the sun to illuminate her like a spotlight. Perhaps due to the harsh artificial lighting in Tantal, Zeke had never quite noticed before how her hair caught the light and reflected it in ways that shouldn’t be possible, glimmering with a strange beauty. Voice brimming with excitement, she declared, “A turtle!”

Nestled snugly in her palms, outstretched towards him, was indeed a small green turtle.  Zeke’s eyes, however, were caught by Pandoria’s lips, an unnaturally shimmery pink, turned up in a wide grin. Trying to distract himself from how his heart skipped a beat at the sight, he dragged his gaze up to meet hers. Eyes as green and full of life as the grass that covered Gormott stared back expectantly, but his mind seemed to go more and more blank the longer he looked.

“You, uh –” He scrambled to form words before his Blade began to question his sanity. “Y-you like turtles?”

“Oh, yeah, I love the little critters!” Pandoria drew her hands back and held them up to her face to observe the animal. Her smile softened and though he knew it was ridiculous, Zeke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. “Maybe it’s ‘cause of my connection with Genbu or something. ‘Cause I mean, it’s not like Tantal is exactly crawling with turtles, y’know?”

“Right, makes sense,” Zeke agreed, though he was only half-listening. Sure, he’d never really seen Pandoria smile like this before, and maybe it was really pretty, and he supposed it _would_ be nice if _he_ had been the one to cause it. But was he really feeling jealous of a  _turtle_  right now? 

“I didn’t see any other turtles over there, and he seems pretty small.” Frowning slightly as she pet his head with one finger, Pandoria sighed, “Might be an orphan, the poor guy. I think we should keep him.”

Brow furrowing, Zeke repeated, “Keep him? Like, as a pet?”

“Yeah! I read some about how to take care of them, back in Tantal. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a mascot?”

“I don’t know…”

“Come on, he’s like a tiny little Genbu, it’s perfect! Plus, I think it would do you…do us good to have another little friend to keep us company.”

It had been less than a year since Zeke had awakened her, but Pandoria already had a knack for reading him. There were times his exile still stung as fresh as the day he’d left, and he hated to admit that even to himself, much less Pandoria – but it was nice to know that he didn’t have to. Heaving an exaggerated sigh, he waved a hand dismissively. “Well, if you really want a reminder of that stuffy old place hanging around, I won’t stop you.”

When Pandoria smiled brightly enough to rival the glow of her shoulders, Zeke knew he’d made the right choice. “Oh shut it, you know you love him too. With his cute little face, and his cute little shell, and…” She continued to coo at the turtle, and Zeke couldn’t help a warm grin of his own. The sight before him certainly was adorable, but only partly thanks to the small animal.

“I guess he needs a name, now, eh?” he said, cutting into Pandoria’s fawning. “If he’s going to be our mascot, it needs to be super cool. Something that’ll strike fear into the hearts of any who dare cross us.”

She looked up at him and nodded her agreement. “Yeah, we can’t just call him ‘turtle’ forever. How about…The Turtinator?”

“No, that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.” Zeke stroked his chin and hummed thoughtfully. “I’m thinking…Turters…von Gormott…Muncher of Leaves!”

“You’re right, that’s much simpler,” Pandoria deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

“Hey, it _flows_ ,” Zeke retorted. “Just try saying ‘Turtinator’ three times fast.”

Shaking her head, she gave a soft laugh. “I’m teasing. I like it. Now here –” Pandoria took one of Zeke’s hands and turned it palm-up so that she could gently hand him their new friend. It took all his willpower to ignore her fingers brushing against his as she pulled away, instead concentrating intensely on not letting their new pet fall to his doom. “Hold onto Turters while I actually find us some dinner.”

“You can count on me! Zeke von Genbu, Protector of Turters!”

As Pandoria settled back in to wait for an unsuspecting fish to swim by, Zeke laid down on his back, setting Turters atop his chest. The turtle slowly craned his neck to explore this strange new environment while Zeke watched, occasionally stealing a glance at his Blade from the corner of his eye.

He was certain nothing about her had changed since yesterday. She was still the same Pandoria – goofy, sharp-witted, beautiful. It stood to reason, then, that she’d always been beautiful, and he wasn’t sure how he had never really noticed it before – though he got the feeling he wouldn’t ever stop noticing now.

Unbidden, a memory drifted across Zeke’s mind: a history lesson from his childhood, when his tutor had explained how centuries ago, it wasn’t uncommon for Blades and humans to get married, though the practice had long since died out. His cheeks flushed and there was a tightness in his chest as the thought entered his mind. He knew where this was going, and perhaps it would be for the best to squash these feelings now and never look back. Pandoria was his best friend, his only traveling companion, and he couldn’t afford to ruin that when they would be together for the rest of their lives.

 _'Til death do us part,_ he thought, then immediately groaned at himself. This was not conducive to squashing any feelings.

 “Everything okay over there?” Pandoria called, glancing over her shoulder.

 “Yeah –” Zeke’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat loudly. “Yeah! We’re right as rain.”

 When Pandoria returned her focus to her fishing, Zeke turned his attention back to Turters, who had settled in and seemed to be enjoying lounging in the sunlight. Softly patting the turtle’s shell, he sighed.

“You know,” he muttered, low enough that Pandoria wouldn’t hear, “This is all your fault. Whatever comes of this – I blame you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen, I love baby dork zeke falling in love at first sight but. BUT. sometimes you just don't notice your blade is Literally Perfect until she squeals about turtles. shoutout to tbat for opening my eyes to this timeline


End file.
